There’s a sunny side to heating your pool

The problem I have with most solar technology is that it is too expensive for the average person. And when it comes to solar heating, it really shouldn’t be. It is such a simple concept that innovation must and will drive the cost down.

Unfortunately, there is not enough innovation in the solar thermal industry today.

Yes, there are a lot of gee-whiz, cool-looking vacuum tubes and parabolic reflectors, but they are way too pricey and actually are not that great for our climate. And most of them are so expensive that the only way they can sell their products is through tax credits.

There are some killer solar products that are affordable, though. One is solar pool heating. If we put some black tubing in the sun that can hold water, we can use it to heat a swimming pool during the spring and summer. And it works very well. And it doesn’t cost very much. And you can build one yourself if you want to.

Actually, the simplest, cheapest solar heater is a solar pool cover. You can use a plastic bubble wrap cover that floats on the pool surface to trap solar heat directly into the pool water. Since most of the heat loss of a swimming pool is through evaporation of water, the pool cover also minimizes heat loss. This is important at the beginning of the season when it still gets rather cool at night.

We can go a step further and use solar collectors to heat a pool. If you have ever seen a solar pool collector, you will realize how simple a concept it is.

We simply divert pool water through some black pipe, which is usually placed on a roof, and it gets hot. What a concept! As long as the pipe is warmer than the pool, it heats the pool.

If you purchase a pool collector system, you buy enough collectors to equal half the pool surface. These collectors cost $2 to $4 per square foot. They connect simply with rubber hoses and plumb back to the pool pump. A diverting control shunts water up to the collector whenever the collector is hotter than the pool.

A fun fact is that whenever the air temperature is warmer than the pool, even at night, it will heat the pool. This usually happens at the beginning of the season when the pool is cooler. But it is free heat.

A solar pool heating system costs about the same as a gas or oil system, but the solar system does not require fuel. I shutter to think what people are paying to heat their pools this year. Solar pool heating is a true no brainer.

If you want to really save money, you can build one yourself. Every year someone stops me to talk about his homebrewed solar pool heater. What a gratifying DIY project.

Check out www.builditsolar.com. You can also use glazed solar collectors to heat a swimming pool. My experience is that one-quarter of the pool surface in collectors or even slightly less is adequate for most pools. This would be a great fit for a solar space heating system that would otherwise be idled during the summer.

There is a lot more to talk about regarding solar. Stay tuned.

Questions for Tom Gocze should be sent to homefront

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